prey /preɪ/► SEE ALLbe/fall prey to sthprey on sb’s mind ●be/fall ˈprey to sth (formal) be harmed or affected by sth bad成为…的牺牲品；受到伤害；受到坏影响◆He was often prey to doubt and despair. 他总是陷入怀疑和绝望的泥沼。◆Thousands of small businesses are falling prey to high interest rates. 数千家小型企业成为高利率的牺牲品。NOTEPrey is an animal, a bird, etc. that is hunted, killed and eaten by another animal. * prey 是被其他动物捕食的兽类、鸟等。●ˌprey on sb’s ˈmind ( ˌplay on sb’s ˈmind) worry or trouble sb very much萦绕心头；使困扰；使耿耿于怀◆The death of his father is really preying on his mind at the moment. He thinks it was his fault. 眼下，父亲的去世成为他的一块心病，他认为那是自己的过错。◆The question of whether to accept the new job and move to Scotland had been playing on his mind for days. 是否接受新工作并搬到苏格兰去，数天来这个问题在他心头萦绕不去。